


You I Love

by Rinienne



Category: Marvel 616, Venom (Comics)
Genre: Emotional Sex, First Time, Flash is Alive, Fluff, Love Confessions, Other, Pankakes, Post Venom #8, Romance, Sort Of, nothing is explained
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-28 18:18:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16728489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rinienne/pseuds/Rinienne
Summary: The symbiote finally makes a choice between Eddie and Flash. Eddie is not sure it’s a correct one, so it’s up to his other to prove him wrong.





	You I Love

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, this fic is a mess, because I started it as one idea, then in the middle of me writing, the interview with Donny Cates happened, so it turned into a different thing. I hope it’s still ok.  
> There is one line borrowed from [this post](https://iamnmbr3.tumblr.com/post/180261802498/so-yall-gonna-ignore-how-disgusted-with-venom) of Iamnbr3. Thank you for letting me use it!  
> No beta.

Eddie’s head was pounding, and his entire body felt like there wasn’t a single patch of skin left without a bruise or a graze. It was a little difficult to breath, but the pain in his chest wasn’t sharp, so he doubted any of his ribs were broken. Still, it was disconcerting, making it challenging to concentrate on the surroundings.

Everything around was quiet, people who fought alongside him were only now starting to move, to look around the battlefield, where their foe laid defeated. Above the enormous creature stood no other than Flash Thompson, alive and well, his skin wrapped into the black living suit of Venom.

Through the ringing in his ears, it came to Eddie in bits and pieces, memories of an explosion, of horrible pain, of his other’s voice filling his head once again, joy overwhelming both of them. That was until Eddie started to fill the symbiote pulling away, leaving him.

He still could sense his other happy, the feelings pouring into his mind through the link between them, and Eddie could perfectly see why.

Flash’s face wasn’t covered, and he was smiling, talking out loud to the other, but it was quiet, just murmurs, and Eddie could hear nothing from where he stood.

It seemed they didn’t notice him, didn’t pay any attention, but then again, who was to blame them?

Eddie felt happy Flash was alive, too. He wanted to walk over and say hello, ask what happened and how he ended up here helping Eddie fight, maybe saving his life.

Or not his life, Eddie realized, seeing the red and blue cladded hero approaching Flash, moving carefully and holding his injured side.

Plus, Eddie didn’t feel like his life was really saved. It was like a part of him died that moment, knowing for sure that his... no, Flash’s other would never return to him, would never choose Eddie over the man who’d never hurt it, never betrayed it.

He was alone again. In the months that the symbiote was silent, he’d used to his own voice being the only one in his head, but the absence of the other was too noticeable now. There was a stinging sensation in his eyes, but he was too exhausted to cry, too _empty_ to allow his emotions surface, and so he decided to turn around and leave them all be.

It would’ve been really poetic too, walk away into the rainy, cold night, wander aimlessly along the empty streets. Except luck wasn’t on Eddie’s side, and he understood it was a horrible idea the moment he stepped a foot out of the half destroyed, abandoned building.

Wet snow was falling down from the heavy clouds, mixing with the rain, covering the ground with dirty sludge, and Eddie had nothing on but a pair of briefs, used to rely on the other for warmth and cover. He thought he could made it to a nearest laundromat, borrow something there, but he didn’t manage to go far, Flash’s voice sounding behind him.

“Brock!” the man called. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Eddie turned around in time to see Flash approach, steps light, almost soundless. He wanted to say something back, but found himself unable to even look the man in the eyes, so he only shrugged.

“I know that!” Flash smirked, and Eddie realized he was talking to the symbiote. He remembered the other learning to speak outloud even when inside somebody’s mind, and he wondered if it lost that ability or simply was choosing not to include Eddie into their conversation. “I know that, too!” Flash grinned meanwhile, looking at Eddie somewhat strangely. “Yeah, I agree, he’s a dumbass.”

“Excuse me?!” Eddie raised an eyebrow, yet his words seemingly fell on deaf ears.

A patch of black rose from above Flash’s shoulder, a familiar face of the symbiote forming on it. “Thank you, Flash,” it smiled, showing two rows of sharp teeth. “Would not have come to my senses without you.”

Jealousy settles in the pit of Eddie’s stomach like a pool of vile. It felt like the other just added insult to the injury, because it was Flash who managed to bring it back. Better Venom, even better man.

Eddie tried to push the negative thoughts away, because he wasn’t the man he used to be years ago, not even the man he was last year. In the end, as long as the symbiote was well and happy, it didn’t really matter.

“Anytime, pal,” Flash replied, bringing his hand to pet the other under its chin like it was a cat. Then again, the expression on the symbiote’s face changes to such a content one, that it might as well had been one. Eddie could’ve sworn he almost heard it purr.

“I... umm, happy to see both of you alive,” Eddie nodded, trying not to look like a mere idea of standing next to them was tearing his heart into shreds. “How?” he decided to ask, because if he had to talk, he could at least find it out.

A gust of icy cold wind touched his bare shoulders and back, and he trembled. Damn it, he wasn’t going to make it to any laundromats, would have to rely on Flash’s help. He tried not to show his discomfort, but by this point the chill had time to crawl under his skin, his toes and fingers losing any sense of sensitivity.

And then the strangest thing happened. The symbiote turned to look at him and started to reach out, wrapping its black tendrils around his body, engulfing him in warmth and comfort. Eddie could barely move watching it untangle from Flash, unable to believe his eyes.

“Oh, jeez, it _is_ cold,” Flash shivered, as he was left to stand there in a light jacket. “Ouch,” he added shifting from foot to the other — or from one prosthesis to the other, to be precise — and Eddie realized cold must’ve traveled fast up the metal, reaching the man’s skin. “I’d love to stay and chat, but there’s someone else I owe an explanation first,” he nodded back at the building. “Besides, you two also have a lot to discuss,” he smirked.

“You... you sure?” Eddie asked. It was vague, and to tell the truth, he himself wasn’t sure what he meant.

Yet, somehow, Flash understood him. “Yeah,” he smiled, even if this time there was something sad in his voice. “I’m sure.”

***

There was nowhere to go for them, really. With Eddie being evicted from his apartment months ago, he had no place to return, call home. At some point, the earlier snowy drizzle turned into an actual snow, that was descending onto the ground in big, puffy flakes. It looked almost magical under the soft glow of the street lights, if not for the temperature managing to drop even further, enough that even with the symbiote trying its best to warm Eddie up, he was starting to feel cold.

Eddie pondered about squatting somewhere, maybe buying a movie ticket on one of these all-night showings, but the other grunted quietly at the mere idea, pointing him in the direction of a shabby motel with a blinking vacancy sign that had two letters missing.

It was the first time it spoke, too. As they walked down the mostly empty streets the symbiote remained uncharacteristically quiet. Eddie could almost believe that the events of the previous few hours were just a dream, just a construct of his lonely, messed up mind, if not for the constant barrage of _feelings_ he was able to sense from the other.

Some of them he could interpret as contentment, a little bit of giddiness, but most of all, he sensed a nervous anticipation coming from the symbiote. Eddie didn’t want to even start guessing what it meant, afraid of the conclusions he might come to.

There was some cash in Eddie’s pockets, enough for one night at the motel and for a meal or two the following day. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do after that, but decided not to dwell on it now, having a lot of other worries to preoccupy himself with.

“I’m sorry, Eddie,” the other said quietly, and Eddie felt his heart clench.

His hands began shaking, and it took several attempts to put the key into the lock. He almost managed to bend it in the process, and hoped the receptionist wasn’t going to notice it in the morning. As the door finally opened, he hurried inside, entering the almost welcoming warmth of the room.

The interior of the motel was as shabby as the exterior of it. The wallpapers were so old, the floraly design of them became almost indistinguishable. Old stench of mold and cigarette smoke hung in the air, even when a no smoking sign was sitting on the wooden desk.

“Left you for so long, didn’t want to. Never wanted to,” the symbiote continued, and a spark of hope flared inside Eddie.

It was quickly replaced by guilt, however. Now that he knew how good Flash and the other were to each other, was it really his right to try asking the symbiote to stay? No. it really wasn’t, and if he cared about the other at least a little, he should've seen it from the start, he was never really worthy of it. He kept it tied to himself for personal comfort, because of own insecurities and fears, convincing himself that he needed it and could not survive without it.

Feet heavy from emotions, Eddie shuffled towards the bed, flopping onto an old mattress which was used for so long, there was a visible dip in the middle. At least the bed sheets seemed clean, still smelling of lavender soap.

“After everything I’ve done...” he started, then shook his head, unable to come up with right words even if he used to make a living out of it. “Why? Why me?”  he asked so quietly, that he was almost unable to hear himself.

The symbiote shifted around him, its warm, black tendrils rising up Eddie’s neck, coming to rub his beard, caress the skin just above it. A bigger blob of blackness rose up from his chest, the other’s face appearing in it. “Both did wrong, bad things to each-other, Eddie. Both lied, both abused trust,” more of the symbiote’s mass moved towards Eddie’s shoulders, and he was now able to feel pressure there, as if a pair of hands laid on them. “But love can only be earned by working every day, becoming better. Learning.”

It all crashed down on him then: the months of loneliness and self pity, the happiness of finding out Flash was alive, the joy of hearing the symbiote’s voice again. A heavy lump that had been sitting in his throat since the the fight ended, finally bursted free, and the other’s face before him started to become blurry, tears rolling down his cheek. One more tendril rose up to his face, brushing a tear drop off. It was done with such tenderness, yet it only made him cry harder.

“Eddie,” the other... _his_ other called, and he felt himself being pushed backwards. It wasn’t a particularly forceful push, but he didn’t resist, allowing the symbiote to lay him down onto the lumpy mattress. “Do you remember you once said that we are together, but you’re not sure what we are together?” it asked, as its face moved closer. Its big, white eyes were half liden, tongue flicking against Eddie’s lower lip, yet barely touching it.

Tears were still obscuring Eddie’s vision, but he found himself shuddering at the intonation of his other, the suggestion in its voice and actions. His heart started to beat faster and he swallowed. “Yeah,” he nodded. “I do.”

“This,” the symbiote replied, its entire body shifting to settle over Eddie, spreading over his bare chest, the implications of it not subtle. “This what I want us to be, Eddie. If you want it, too. Let me show.”

Eddie noded, without even needing to think about it, because in the end it all came down to one simple truth. He didn’t need the symbiote, not really, but he wanted it in his life in any way possible. He wanted to be able to talk to it, feel its solid mass in him. He wanted to share in its joy, and always be able to condole in its sadness.

And if it made him seem a little sappy, well, there wasn’t anyone in this room who would judge him for it.

Eddie inhaled sharply as a tendril rubbed against his nipple, another slipped under the waistband of his underwear. At the same time, he felt his other shiver feeling Eddie’s arousal which its actions caused.

This wasn’t an entirely new development. Sharing a body, at some point they were bound to experience sexual pleasure together, be it with somebody else, or just each-other.

He remembered the very few women they had been intimate with, the way Eddie wasn’t sure if he’s been more focused on the curves of the body beneath him, or his other squirming under his skin, a mere idea of bringing physical pleasure to the symbiote doubling his enjoyment of the act. Or all the times they did it on their own, with Eddie’s hand wrapped firmly around himself, his other’s tendrils caressing him, learning every sensitive spot on Eddie’s body.

Eddie had simply accepted it for what it was, a concomitant of sharing most of bodily functions with the symbiote. It was as natural to him as feeling it breath or move around. Yet, even with the recent shift in their relationship, even when Eddie accepting his feelings for what they really were, they’ve never talked about it, never discussed what it meant.

But that was what they were doing now, wasn’t it?

”You want to put a name to it,” he exhaled slowly, his own hands reaching up, rubbing the mass of the symbiote that was connecting its head to Eddie’s torso.

“Acknowledge it, yes,” his other replied. “I want for you to know that there had been few hosts I came to care about,” it continued, now starting to pull the briefs down Eddie’s legs, lifting him slightly off the bed without much effort. “One I call my friend. But it’s you, Eddie. You I _love_.”

“I...” Eddie started, feeling another wave of tears coming up to his eyes. “I love you, too,” he said finally and understood that for all the endorsements, for all the affectionate names that he’d used, it was the first time he actually confessed. Now, after so many years of losses and gains, after countless separations and reunions, he knew for sure it wasn’t some sort of weird addiction, it wasn’t a side effect of the symbiote’s presence in his brain causing a chemical disbalance. It was real.

His other made a tiny sound, something akin a content sight. Its large maw shrunk down a little, teeth becoming smaller and less sharp, and it leaned in, pressed its lips into Eddie’s. It was a short kiss, experimental, as if it wasn’t sure Eddie would want to kiss it.

Except Eddie really wanted to, so the moment the symbiote started to pull away, he captured its head with both of his hand, pulling it back towards himself, pressing his lips into its mouth without any concern or second thought.

It wasn’t like kissing another human, the texture was all different, but it was nice, still. Eddie suspected his other was getting less enjoyment, its shapeless mass of a body having the same level of sensitivity in any of its parts. Or almost any, because when Eddie finally pushed his tongue between its lips and past the teeth, he felt his other shiver against him again.

It took it as an invitation to imitate what Eddie was doing, gladly licking its way into into the human mouth, starting to explore the insides of it, trembling with excitement at the action. **“** Oh, Eddie. Taste so delicious!”

Eddie could only chuckle in reply, unable to speak into the other’s mind the way the symbiote could. It wasn’t an amused chuckle, but a happy one, the joy of being able to experience something so simple, yet so special as a kiss with his other almost overwhelming him.

The joy wasn’t the only feeling Eddie was experiencing, however, and he was promptly reminded about it when he felt his other roll against his hips, rubbing his completely hard by now member, tearing a groan out of his lungs. By this point there wasn’t any clothes left on him, the briefs he wore pushed off and left forgotten somewhere on the floor, and his entire body was buzzing hot with arousal.

The symbiote’s movements became a little more determined, as it was shifting around his body, touching him everywhere. Pulling its tongue out of Eddie’s mouth, it moved to lick wet stripes around his neck. “Beard is so fuzzy, Eddie,” it announced approvingly.

“I’ll keep it then, for you, my love,” he replied with a grin.

He could say nothing else after that, his thoughts turning less coherent, because his symbiote engulfed the length of his member completely, giving it a tight stroke, then another. It felt so good, Eddie threw his head backwards onto the blankets, his hips shaking with an effort of staying still.

“Ahh yes, that’s it, love, you’re doing great,” he encouraged breathless, even if he knew his other felt it all too, didn’t need his directions.

The symbiote’s head came face to face with his, and it looked him directly in the eyes. It didn’t say anything at first, but the next moment Eddie felt the lower half of his body lifting up, legs being pulled apart, and he raised his eyebrow questionably.

“May we?” it asked holding him in an inhumanly strong grip, some of the tendrils moving behind Eddie, making his breath hitch as he realized what his other was asking for. “Will stop if won’t like.”

The request made him a little nervous, his heart pounding so fast it made him want to pant, even if he didn’t need to breath now, capable of doing so through the symbiote. “Anything with you,” Eddie exhaled nonetheless. His invitation was far more open-ended than it was necessary, but it wasn’t blind or baseless. By this point he’d know the symbiote for so long, he trusted it completely.

A pair of hands made of black mass cupped Eddie’s face. Its tongue extended again to swipe against his lips, and something slowly pushed into him. It was small enough at first, and there wasn’t much of resistance, the flexible appendage feeling slick somehow, even if they had nothing to use for this purpose. It didn’t feel like much at first, but it continued to grow longer and thicker with every shallow thrust, rolling against spots inside Eddie he had no idea was so sensitive.

He expected it to be at least a little painful, but the symbiote’s movements were careful, and the pain never came. It was a little strange still, but any trace of Eddie’s discomfort disappeared when the symbiote started to move, contract around his erection again.

“You like it, Eddie, you like it!” his other said into his mind, and there was relief in its voice, as if the symbiote had been terrified to make things worse, push away the man with his request of closeness.

And for the first time, it made him feel not only loved, but humbled by this love, too, because for the first time Eddie was seen for what he was, with all his flaws and his faults, and yet he was still wanted.

He wished he could return back in time, give the same apportunity to really know him to Anne, to people who adored him because of the lies he told. He wished, he could—

“Eddie, are you ok?” his other asked, making him realize there were tears in his eyes again.

“I will be,” he smiled pulling the symbiote closer. “I’ll work hard on it, as you said, I promise.”

Eddie presses his lips to his other’s mouth again, kissing it with abandon, as it began rocking into him a little harder. Every negative thought from earlier was disappearing, leaving only the two of them, locked together in a way no two humans could.

“Mine, Eddie, mine,” the symbiote hissed, deepening the kiss, its tongue coiling around Eddie’s, and the man could only hum his agreement in reply.

They were each-other’s, for as long as they could, and it felt right, because it wasn’t possessiveness or ownership, but belonging.

The symbiote pushed deep, rolled its tendril against Eddie’s prostate, making both of them shudder. It did it again and again, until the pleasure was too much. They were close, Eddie could feel it, but his other was starting to loose the rhythm, hissing and making soft squeaking noises, which it would most likely deny afterwards.

“Eddie, this feel too good, too good, I...” the symbiote was speaking, but faltered in the end, unable to compose sounds into words anymore.

Somehow, Eddie managed to roll them around, which was a little challenging, considering how entangled they were, but his other didn’t resist. “It’s okay, love, I’ve got you,” he said straddling the wriggling mass of the symbiote, taking charge of their movements, pushing into his other, until pleasure overtook them both, until they shuddered with a force of their shared orgasm.

Eddie was still for a long while after that, just breathing, his face pressed against his other. There was the same sense of boneless exhaustion he could feel from it, and the symbiote wasn’t even even able to contain the shape of its head, just laid under Eddie in a shapeless puddle.

Sometime later, Eddie realized he was still laying across the bed, his legs partially hanging from the edge. His breathing was slowly evening out, but it also meant he was starting to feel the chilly air touching his back.

There was a shower in their room, and he needed to use it while he had an opportunity. He could do it tomorrow morning, however, but now he at least needed to climb under a blanket. The moment he thought about it, his other wrapped itself around Eddie’s skin, its long tongue appearing to lick his shoulder.

This was new as well, the symbiote not retreating inside him right after they were done, offering him what Eddie could only describe as cuddling. Somehow, it felt even bigger than anything else they’ve done this evening.

“Eeediiieee,” it called, drawing out each sound. “We are a couple. Romantic partners. Lovers,” it added, as if tasting the word.

They’ve been it all before, but acknowledging made it more significant. “Yes, my darling, we are,” he smiled contently.

***

When Eddie woke up the next day, he was still splayed across the bed, almost in the same exact position he passed out. His other dragged covers from both sides of him to wrap him up, forming a large, human-shaped burrito.

The symbiote itself pulled away from his body and mind. Eddie could barely feel its presence, except that it was somewhere nearby, most likely roaming around the room on its own, remaining connected to Eddie through only a thin strand attached to his shoulder.

There was a smell of coffee in the air, and it made a smile appear on his face, even if he was still a little groggy from the sleep. Carefully, he untangled himself from the cocoon of blankets, instantly regretting it, because the room felt freezing in the morning.

Thankfully, even not fully connected to him, the symbiote was able to sense his discomfort and moved back, enveloping Eddie’s body into its gentle warmth. It turned into a hoodie, a pair of dark jeans, and boots, but not before placing a brief, chaste kiss onto Eddie’s lips.

It was a nice gesture, and Eddie though he could most definitely get used to it. He wanted to get used to it.

“Good morning, Eddie,” the symbiote murmured affectionately.

“Good morning, love,” he responded, feeling some sort of gleeful delight coming from his other as it settled back inside him. “Well, someone’s in a good mood,” he chuckled, pressing a kiss to the sleeve of his hoodie.

“Yesss,” it hissed cheerfully. “I made you coffee.”

Eddie walked towards the small table in the opposite side of the room. On it stood a coffee maker that was so old, it was incredible it still worked. Next to it were two paper cups, seemingly clean, so Eddie picked one up and filled it with hot, dark liquid from the pot, then tore open a few packets of sugar and dumped them into the mix.

It wasn’t the best tasting coffee, but it did the job, making him feel warm from the inside, too. There was a window next to the table, and, as he sipped his drink, Eddie could see snow slowly falling outside, the ground covered in fluffy blanket, making the dirty and gloomy streets from last night look neat and clean.

It was almost shame the winter holidays were behind them now.

“Eddie, finish your coffee, let’s go to the bathroom,” the symbiote encouraged.

There was a note of urgency in his voice, which made Eddie curious. “If I stink, that’s your fault,” he grinned around the still hot cup.

“Shower sex,” the symbiote explained simply, completely unabashed, and Eddie was thankful his other didn’t wait for him to take a sip before speaking. “Used to be passive before. Wasn’t as good of a lover for you last night as I hoped. Need more practice.”

“Mm, well, I would disagree with that,” Eddie grinned. “But yeah, can see the appeal of doing it in the shower,” he added, trying to finish his drink faster now.

“I have _a lot_ of ideas,” it said as a matter of factly, making Eddie both terrified and excited.

As he was done with the coffee, Eddie returned the cup onto the table, too lazy to look for the trash bin. He almost reached the bathroom, completely on board with finding out what these ideas were, when he heard someone knocking on the door and stopped on his tracks. He wondered who it could possibly be and what they wanted, giving the room a quick glance over to determine what he could use as a weapon if the fight started.

The symbiote switched its attention to the intruder, too. Yet, instead of concern, Eddie felt a wave or excitement coming from his other, replacing the earlier anticipation of another round of lovemaking completely. Immediately, Eddie also understood who was paying them a visit.

“Hey, Flash,” he sighed before he even finished opening the door.

What greeted him was a wide grin on a familiar face that was poking over a white plastic bag with a breakfast restaurant logo, a really delicious aroma of food coming from it.

“Hey, Brock!” Flash smiled cheerfully, having absolutely no idea what he interrupted. “Yes, I’m still able to vaguely sense your symbiote, and that’s how I found you. I got pancakes, and eggs and bacon sandwiches as a bribe to let me hang out with you and talk more about it. Also,” he added pulling a bar of chocolate from his pocket, “something for my best pal.”

The symbiote shifted around Eddie’s torso, extending from his torso and moving towards its friend, bumping him into the cheek with its forehead in a greeting.

There was an almost overwhelming amount of happiness coming from it. Some time ago, Eddie would’ve felt disconcerted about it, would doubt his other’s desire to stay with him. Now... now he felt absolutely nothing but genuine contentment for his symbiote’s good mood.

It was almost surprising, but he understood it then. It didn’t matter if he was first, third, or fifth host, didn’t matter if he was the one who spent the most time with the symbiote or the least. His other was given a choice, and it chose him, and it made every last bit of jealousy he felt towards Flash disappear, as if it was never there.

The symbiote was allowed to care about other people, miss them. He was allowed to have someone besides Eddie to call a friend, and the complete acceptance of it made Eddie feel even better now than when his other told him it loved him and wanted to stay with him forever.

“You think there’ll be enough for all three of us?” he smiled letting Flash in.

The other man walked into the room steadily, his legs looking completely normal. His white jacket seemed ordinary, but it had a black spider emblem on the front of it, which meant Flash was still covered in anti-Venom goop.

That brought so many questions into Eddie’s mind, he wasn’t sure an answer to which he wanted to find out first.

As if sensing his confusion, Flash glanced at him again. “So, how much did the other fill you in last night?” he asked most definitely having absolutely no idea what they had been doing, and that his question sounded very different because of it. “Oh, still hot coffee, perfect!” he added as he was unpacking the contents of the bag onto the table.

Eddie did his best to push the inappropriate thoughts away. Instead, he looked at the symbiote who now returned to lounge on his shoulder, waiting with surprising patience for its chocolate. “No, I’m afraid I’m still in the dark.”

“Why didn’t you tell anything?” Flash frowned addressing the symbiote now.

Eddie’s other budget closer to his cheek, rubbing into his beard. “Talked about what was most important,” it smiled.

Flash hummed thoughtfully offering them both a tiny smirk. Somehow, Eddie got an impression he understood.


End file.
